Steel Heart
by ThinkingTimes
Summary: Borgakh has come of age and must marry a chief from another stronghold. Her brash behavior and lack of feminine charm makes this very hard. But after she breaks the nose of a possible suitor, all hope of an arranged marriage disappears. Until a dragon slaying Nord comes along and gives her an amulet of Mara and pays the dowry. And this is where the confusion starts…
1. Chapter 1

Steel Heart

Borgakh was furiously hacking at her enemy using all of her strength, her face contorted with anger. The dummy unsurprisingly made no attempt to fight back and simply took the hits in silence.

Borgakh was tall and muscular for a woman, but just above average for an orc woman. The short mohawk she had made her look less feminine and the big Orcish armor hid all her curves but she still was an unconventional beauty. Borgakh didn't care about her looks at all, she cared about strength and power like Malouch taught her people. That is why she did everything in her power to be the perfect warrior, although her family often said she was taking it too far.

The she-orc then severed the "arm" of the dummy making the plank fall to the ground. Borgakh turned away from the dummy to catch her breath, and wiped the sweat away from her face. She was glad she could get some of the anger and frustration that had been plaguing her for several days out of her system. Still, she would not be happy until good news arrived. She would ask her grandmother, who was the wise woman of the tribe, daily about any news arriving in the stronghold. Satisfied with her training she grabbed her pack next to the dummy and started walking towards her grandmother Sharamp in the longhouse.

'Hello grandmother' Borgakh said softly as she sat down next to the old woman in the longhouse. Sharamp smiled sadly at her, knowing what her granddaughter was going to ask her. 'Still no chief has replied to us, even with no set dowry. There is still time, you are still young'

Borgakh took a whetstone from her pack and started sharpening her blade with more force then needed before saying 'I should not have punched the last chief, I know, but…'

At this the old lady started laughing 'You broke his nose and he just run off! He was a coward like a city orc, and would have been a terrible husband for you. I don't even know he managed to stay chief anyway…'

Borgakh stopped sharpening her blade and looked up. 'Even so, the rumors he spread through the strongholds about me being a violent nutcase that would rather be chief herself then answer to a man ruined any chances I had! They call me the Steel Heart! I will never find a chief to marry, and certainly not a marriage with love in it like mother has!' Borgakh had to take a deep breath after this outburst.

Sharamp wiggled her finger at her accusingly like one would do when correcting a small child: 'Your mother had to flee after her stronghold was torched to the ground and her family killed. Just because I took her in and she married my son ten years later does not mean she has had it easy in life. Do not be disrespectful! Also, your dedication to Malouch's teachings is fantastic, but there is more to being an orc then just raw power and fighting. You can't keep a stronghold going with just warriors! Also, shaving part of your hair could have waited until after you were married. Even orc men want a bit of feminine charm in their wives. And you could maybe work on your temper, but I doubt you will do that.' Borgakh opened her mouth to say something but closed it again after a few moments knowing her grandmother was right. Suddenly the sound of loud yelling could be heard from outside, and in a flash the young warrior was by the door, closely followed by the older woman.

When Borgakh came running out with her Orcish sword drawn the first thing she saw was chief Larak, her father, fighting with an outsider. With her weapon held above her head she stormed at the Nord ready to strike, until she saw her father's second wife watching the fight with interest, but not interfering in any way. The young she-orc stopped running and slowly came to a hold, lowering her sword while doing so. In her rush she hadn't realized her father and the Nord were only using their fists. Chief Larak was fond of brawling and betting because he always won, collecting some extra gold for the stronghold.

The Steel Heart was still puzzled, because his opponent wasn't an orc. Only bloodkin could enter a stronghold, even trade with outsiders was done outside of the stronghold, so how come he was allowed inside the stronghold? Borgakh's thoughts were interrupted when her father fell to the ground with a thud. The Nord removed his helmet and helped the chief of the ground with his free hand.

'You earned that gold, plus the gold for the trade' said Larak, clearly trying to contain his anger after losing. 'Please take a seat while and rest a bit after your journey. I'll have the gold ready when you leave'

The Nord nodded enthusiastically with a big smile on his face, and sat on the bench next to the longhouse. Borgakh waited until her father stomped inside the longhouse to collect the gold before quickly walking up to the mysterious Nord. 'Why are you inside our walls?' Borgakh asked lightly irritated with the trespassing Nord.

The Nord looked up at her and scratched his short black beard before slowly answering 'I was trading some dragon bones when the chief wanted to make a little bet' He smiled at the last part until he made eye contact with an even more irritated Borgakh, only then realizing his mistake. 'I was made bloodkin because I helped the Largashbur stronghold with a curse. Their chief was weak and so Malacath punished them by cursing them'

The Nord was then interrupted by Borgakh, who had suddenly gone from very irritated to very excited. 'Was it chief Yamarz? Was it him?' she asked him while sitting down on the bench next to him.

The Nord looked a bit uncomfortable with how close she was sitting next to him and backed up slowly further down the bench away from her. 'Yes, he was killed when he tried to force someone else to do his task for Malacath' the Nord answered carefully.

Borgakh was relieved! The weak chief that had rejected the marriage proposal and sullied her reputation was dead. And cursed by the patron of orcs for being weak! Borgakh then realized how weird she must have looked to the Nord, who was looking at her like she mad. 'I am sorry for the weird outburst, but Yamarz has made my life very hard recently' she explained. 'His death and the revelation of his weakness will make things better for me and the stronghold. Thank you, thank you very much'

The Nord nodded at her, before taking out a canteen out of his pack and drinking from it. Borgakh felt uncomfortable when he didn't say anything but kept silent herself, instead studying the strange man she knew almost nothing about. His dark brown hair wasn't long, but clearly hadn't been cut in a while. The same was true for his beard, although it was longer then the hair on his head. His armor was made from ebony, an expensive and sturdy material Borgakh knew. Still he had managed to collect a lot of dents and scratches on his journey, which made her wonder what kind of fights he had been in to ruin it that badly. A strange glowing black mace was tied to his waist, while his ebony shield was tucked away under the bench. Just as Borgakh was done seizing him up the Nord spoke again extending his hand 'I am Darren the Lucky, a thane from Whiterun'

Borgakh shook his hand, but instead of introducing herself like a normal person would she just blurted out 'Why do they call you lucky?'

The Nord looked at her with a raised eyebrow before calmly replying. 'People say I am lucky for having the weirdest and most dangerous adventures, but somehow surviving it all. I have to slay dragons daily, deal with Eadra and Deadra alike and find things. Especially finding things for some reason...'

Borgakh looked irritated again and was clearly not convinced. 'You _slay dragons on a daily basis_ … Am I to believe that? I know you beat my father in a fistfight, but _slaying dragons_. I mean you can't be serious!'

Darren took his backpack again and started looking for something in it. Borgakh kept glaring at him while he did so. Suddenly he took out a big bloody tooth and showed it to her. 'This is from the dragon I slew on the way over here. I sold some of the scales to your father just moments ago'

Borgakh's mouth fell open in shock. She couldn't believe how strong Darren was in order to slay such a beast.

And who are you, and do you have a nickname? I told you mine' he said confident after showing his trophy off. 'Borgakh the Steel Heart. I am Larak's daughter. I just became of age and will be sent to marry an Orc chief in some distant stronghold. Until then, I train. My new home will need strength, and my new sisters will know I'm not weak when I arrive' A blush appeared on her face as she continued 'And how I got the nickname… I might have broken the nose of Yamarz when he came to negotiate the terms for marriage'

Darren started laughing uncontrollably and almost fell off the bench. 'You... You... punched… a suitor in the face!?' he said while gasping for air. 'And I thought I had poor people skills!' Darren now got a grip on himself and stopped laughing, but kept giggling while he wiped away some tears. 'By the gods woman, you are amazing! So did you find a husband yet that can handle your temper?'

'No. I can't just leave the stronghold to find a good husband that will appreciate my _attitude_. A chief's daughter marries who her chief wishes. It ensures the stronghold receives a fair trade in goods for my absence. They _need_ the dowry. I used to look forward to the day when I was of age, to see new places and people, but now it feels like a cage' she answered. Borgakh froze at her own confession. Even though she was never good at keeping her mouth shut, she really shouldn't be telling an outsider all this. Darren was bloodkin, but this would still mean trouble for her. She couldn't help but think of all the speeches and beatings her father had given her in the hope that she would learn not to be reckless.

Borgakh had been lost in her own thoughts, until something small hit her armor by her stomach. She looked around wondering who had thrown something at her, before her gaze fell on Darren. He now was digging once again in his backpack while mumbling to himself. Borgakh couldn't help but smile at his earlier remark about his own people skills. She then remembered the item that had hit her, and tried to find it. A shining object was now at her feet, and had not been there before. As she picked it up she realized it was an amulet. Borgakh was shocked to find that it was an amulet of Mara, used to propose to someone. Her heart felt like it was ready to burst out of her chest. This strong Nord, that could slay dragons, was proposing to her? She was surprised because they didn't know each other that long, but she was thrilled. Sure he wasn't an orc chief, but he was an adventurer. And she could be there to protect him and explore the world while doing so!

Borgakh looked at Darren again, her mind still racing with thoughts of marriage. Darren apparently had just found what he was looking for in his backpack. 'Aha!' he exclaimed as he took out a big pouch, handing it to her. 'Now you don't have to worry about being shipped off to a stronghold just because they paid your dowry. It just isn't right for a woman with your attitude to be stuck in one place'

The Steel Heart met his eyes before turning her attention to the pouch she had been handed. The moment she opened it the bright glow of golden septims met her eyes. Her eyes kept going back and forth between the gold in the bag and Darren, who now had a confident smile on his face. 'You are not just strong but also wealthy? You have enough gold for the dowry, an amount that would normally take an entire stronghold to collect... I mean, this is way more than needed for the dowry.'

Darren shrugged his shoulders, before leaning forward to place his pack under the bench again. Just as he was coming up he was tackled to the ground by a near hysterical Borgakh. She was now screaming of joy and hugging him tightly while she kept kissing him on the cheek. Darren had gone completely rigid under her assault, as he tried to understand what was going on. He was about to push of the surprisingly strong orc woman when she jumped off him. 'I have to tell my family the news, and pack my stuff!' she yelled before kissing him on the forehead and barging into the longhouse with the amulet and pouch gold in her hands.

Darren just sat on the bench looking puzzled for several moments after the weird she-orc had left him alone. Then a big grin appeared on his face as he stood up. 'Just _one_ normal day would be great. No crazy orcs needing help, no dragons coming back to life and certainly no gods playing games with me' he mumbled to himself. Darren grabbed his belongings and put on his ebony helmet as he began walking fast. He had wasted enough time here, and needed to get going quickly. The full moon was only several nights away and he wanted to change with the rest of the Circle. Darren did not like changing in the wild, because he feared he would hurt others when the animal side of him was in charge. He hated it to not be in control of himself. No, he thought, he needed to get to Whiterun as fast as possible. The idea never crossed his mind that maybe Borgakh the Steel Heart had misunderstood him. And certainly not the possibility that she and her family were under the impression she was now married to him. Darren did not even think of the gold payment the chief had promised him for the scales and the bet. He just untied his horse outside the stronghold, got on it and went to Whiterun to meet the companions.


	2. Chapter 2

Darren felt like shit. He always did after a full moon. Unlike some of the Circle he hated being a werewolf and resisted the change, fighting it instead of embracing the feral part of himself. Darren always traveled back separately to avoid lectures about rejecting his 'gift' from the others and calm down. Luckily for him the road had been empty of bandits, dragons or other problematic creatures, giving him ample time to gather his thoughts and enjoy the trip for a change.

He finally approached the open gates of Whiterun where he had now made his home. Greeting the guards with a curd nod, Darren entered the hold. Hopefully Lydia had seen the other Circle members returning and made him something warm to eat. Her stews were particularly good.

"My thane' one of the guards said, jogging after him and interrupting his thoughts of food. "Congratulations on your marriage. Your wife came looking for you just now. You just missed her. Apparently you had forgotten to tell her where you lived."

Darren snorted, not looking at the guard now awkwardly trailing behind him. After his night out with Sanguine the guards kept messing with him for days, but that was before he had enough and a shout send them flying. This guard must be new, hard to tell with face covering and matching armor. Maybe some weird initiation ritual, bored guards do come up with the stupidest stuff sometimes.

The guard didn't give up however and undeterred by the silence followed Darren to the door of Breezehome. "We send her up to Lydia, not really knowing what to do with her until you arrived. The captain said to tell you as soon as you returned from your quest with the companions."

Getting tired of this bad joke the dragonborn turned to the annoying young man, about to give him an earful. Before Darren could open his mouth however, the door came off its hinges and slammed straight into him, knocking him to the ground. The people responsible falling on top of the door, effectively pinning him to the ground. His first instinct was to shout, but the crash and now the heavy weight on his chest made it hard to breathe, let alone shout.

The people on top of the door weren't done with whatever they were doing, Darren realized, as the tip of sword was jammed through the door and hit the ground next to his head with a thud. He swallowed nervously, surely this wasn't how the legendary dragonborn and champion of many eadra and deadra was going to meet his end? He could hear punches being dealt back and forth between the people on top of him and the door, heavily armored fists landing on even tougher armor. He prayed neither of the fighters would allow the other a moment to pull the weapon free and try again. He really, really didn't want to die as collateral damage.

His name as Darren the lucky seemed once again deserved as he could hear the guards yelling and running towards them, their heavy footsteps becoming louder and louder. The fighters above him stopped trading blows and judging by the weight, one of them got off the wooden door. Saved by the guards, that's a first! The new guy from before wasn't as dumb as previously thought. He earned himself some ale! He breathed a sigh of relief just when the wooden surface suddenly moved towards his face and everything went black.

XXX

Darren awoke with a gasp and bolted upwards. Then the headache made itself known and he let himself fall down again, gritting his teeth. He was lying on a hard uncomfortable bed under a thin dirty blanket. The air was a bit damp and there was not much light, save for candlelight from outside the cell. Turning his head to the side he cursed as he recognized where he was

Jail.

Guess that guard wasn't getting his ale after all, sending victim and troublemaker alike to the cells, he noted humorlessly. The throbbing in his head made him grimace and he put his arm over his face, trying to shut the pain out together with the flickering light.

"You are an asshole, you know that right?" a female voice near him spoke.

Great, Lydia was here with him in jail to tell him off on top of everything else. "How about you tell me what happened first. You can yell at me later, I got a headache now so please speak softly."

"Well, I had just cleaned the house, because that is what housecarls are apparently for according to some piece of dragonborn shit and decided to do some actual combat training. You know, that thing I have actually spend most of my life doing instead of babysitting you."

Lydia is speaking a lot louder then needs be, clearly ignoring Darren's plea. What she was saying didn't hurt his feelings though. He knows she sounds bitter when she is angry, but when she has spit her venom and calms down she actually doesn't mind staying in the town that much. Lydia has admitted before she likes protecting the town and training the local militia more than crawling through weird dungeons with her thane. So no hard feelings, but for now that doesn't stop his headache from getting worse.

"So I just finished putting on my armor and get downstairs when there is this large orsimer woman, clad in heavy armor, strutting around the house like she owns it. And then, here is where it gets good, she tells me she actually does own it as she has just married the piece of shit I mentioned earlier. I tell her off, because who by the nine does that? Who is dumb enough to do that?! She gets angry, accusing me of being your effing mistress. I laugh at how ridiculous this all sounds, but then she sees this as an admission and an insult. She charges me, we fight and smash through the door after demolishing half the furniture. The guards come and tell us to knock it off, so we back off. That clumsy orc then manages to step on the part of the door where your ugly mug was under. Her fat ass and a full Orcish armor weight a lot, so you were out for the count. And that is how we got here. Enough explanation for ya?"

Lydia takes a few deep breaths after this outburst while I take the time to let this all sink in.

"So you weren't making stew? I really hoped you saw the other Companions and decided to make me some." Darren said, his mind still a bit hazy.

"You little ….!" Lydia snarled, jumping up to show him that he had crossed a line. Darren knew she could throw a mean punch, so this might not have been the best time for a bad joke.

Before the housecarl could get close however, footsteps on the hard floor echoed through the dungeon. Two men, Darren noted, heavily armored as well.

"It is time, the jarl would like to see you know. If you would follow me please. Your wife has already arrived." The guard said with a monotone voice.

Lydia and Darren exchanged looks before he went to the bored guard. Time to see what all the fuzz is about…


End file.
